


Nurse!

by Foxzila44



Category: Team Fortress 2
Genre: Eventual Romance, F/M, Kinda, M/M, Multi, Multiship, Reader-Insert, Slow Build, Slow Burn, y'all get to choose who reader gets to be with, you - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-28
Updated: 2016-07-15
Packaged: 2018-06-05 00:45:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,199
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6682645
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Foxzila44/pseuds/Foxzila44
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hand picked by Miss Pauling, you and eight others are to be the first generation of apprentices under the RED team. With time on the clock ticking away, you'll need to learn what it's like to be a battle medic(the Nurse) fast. </p>
<p>The 9 original mercs(RED team) are the canon characters themselves, the apprentices are OC's I've come up with. Reader is so far gender neutral, and you belong to you. </p>
<p>You guys will get to decide what merc you want to be with in the end(if any). OC's are also an acceptable ship. I'll happily accept comments with suggestions and what you guys all want to see!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Cold Front

**Author's Note:**

> Oh boy, me starting something else. Jolly-gee goodness.  
> I'm gonna see how this goes. If it doesn't do too well, and I don't have enough responses and whatever to feed off, then I'll just discontinue it.  
> So, mercs will be in the next chapter, and I hope y'all enjoy!

The bitter cold stung at your lips and nipped at your half covered ears as you sat in the haul of the train car. An anxious, sickening feeling was settled firmly in the bottom of your gut. You tried to stall whatever feelings by gripping onto your pants, but only found little purchase due to the slick of your gloves. You snorted into your scarf, warmth billowing back to you as you stole a glance at the person sitting not too far from yourself. 

He sat with his ankles crossed, long, lanky legs flat in front of him. His arms rested on his lap, and his own face was buried in his scarf, a flat cap brim draw down over his eyes. Anyone else would have guessed that he was asleep probably, but you could see the faint gleam of his slate brown eyes blink slowly down at the boots he wore. 

He was quiet. Had hardly spoken a word since he greeted you. He didn’t really talk unless spoken to. 

“U-Uh…” You started, trying to make out words with nearly numb lips. “How much longer do you think?” Your breath billowed out in front of you, probably the warmest solace in the cold of the car. He didn’t answer, but he shifted, a long snort drawing out of him, followed by a puff of his own breath as he sat up. 

“Dunno. Maybe another hour or so. They said the trip wasn’t gonna be short.” He answered, voice gruff. There was an unmistakable accent behind his voice. You couldn’t quite put your finger on it, but it sounded something like you’d hear in the United Kingdom. Liverpool, really. 

“Oh. ‘kay.” You uttered out, ending the conversation, but he didn’t really seem to mind. 

You weren’t sure if it was an hour, two hours, twenty minutes, but the cart had finally came to a halt. You jarred slightly in your seat from it, and the young man next to you did as well. You took it as your signal that, well, this was the end of the line, so you stood. Grabbing your belongings, you squinted as the train door slid open with a horrendous screech, and light flooded in. A woman stood at the door, bundled up in a long purple and white trimmed coat, mufflers of the same color covering her ears. The glasses and smile she gave you made it clear that this was Miss Pauling, the woman whom had called for your duties. Hand picked you. 

“Hope the trip up wasn’t too bad. You both look pretty cold, though. Sorry, this was the best arrangement I could make for you.” She spoke, brisk, but friendly. She motioned for you both to follow, and you were the first to hop out. A muffled noise escaped you as you sunk into probably a foot or two of snow, and you dragged your feet back up. “You’re the medical apprentice, right?” She asked you, and spoke your name as well. You confirmed this, watching as the lanky male slipped down beside you, not seeming to mind the snow as much. 

“Connor. Connor Archie. Sniper.” He answered before Miss Pauling could inquire about him. She closed her mouth, giving a nod of her head. 

“Right. Well, you two, let’s get going to the base.” She instructed, turning and trotting off through the snow. You adjusted your bags, and followed after, hearing Connor shuffle behind you. The trek felt like a half an hour, but in reality, was probably only about ten or so minutes. Your legs were burning by the time you reached the base from the hellish trudge through the icy grounds. You could’ve collapsed from relief as you entered the building’s safe haven. It wasn’t exactly warm, but it felt a lot nicer than it did outside. 

Painted grey with fading red markings here and there, it wasn’t a very colorful place. You weren’t too sure how to feel about how your bunker would look-- Or who you would even be placed with. You didn’t know if you’d get your own bunker, or really at all how much you owned after signing on for this contract. 

“So, I'm sure you know the standard nine classes,” Pauling started, reaching into her coat and pulling out a clipboard, “But to avoid confusion, you will be called by different names here than what your class is.”

“What do you mean?” You inquired, a little confused on the subject.

“Well, for example, you're the medical apprentice yes?”

“Yeah.”

“You'll be referred to as Nurse on the battlefield. Connor, you're going to be Ranger.” She informed. Connor raised a brow at the name, and you frowned a little. You liked the sound of ‘Medic’ better compared to ‘Nurse’, but you were in no position to complain. “All the apprentices have their own wing, and but you'll be sharing rooms. You'll get to meet the others today, but you won't see the actual team until tomorrow.” She turned down another hall, coming upon a set of 4 doors, spread out from each other. 

“Dining room is down the hall to the right, showers and other utilities to the left. Soldier will probably arrive rather early tomorrow to officially start the training.” Pauling continued, walking down the hall. You followed suit, stopping as she did. “Nurse, this is your room.” She informed, motioning to the door. It had a medical cross painted on, as well as a bundle of fire. Flame. 

You were roomed with the Pyro. “Go ahead and get settled in. I think everyone else is eating at six, and lights out by eleven is recommended.” She briefly placed a hand on your shoulder, a smile pulling up on the corners of her lips. “Welcome to the team.”

“Thanks.” You responded back quietly, even if she had already started to get Connor settled in. You slowly opened up the door, tensing up as the faint smell of ash and flame hit your nose. You drew in a sharp breath, completely opening the door to see… the room unharmed. Looking on one side, you saw the bed, dresser, and so forth were untouched. On the other side, someone sat at a desk, humming away as they scribbled on a piece of paper. 

A mop of somewhat curled, bleach blonde hair sat atop their head, leaning more towards the yellow side. Something else really caught your eye: The large, dark feathered hawk sitting on their desk, preening its feathers. The hawk lifted its head, its beady eyes peering into your own. 

You blinked. 

It blinked.

It raised its wings slightly, a startling screech leaving its throat, even if it was quiet. The person instantly swung their head over, bright green eyes wide and startled as well. You weren’t sure, but it looked like a screw or two was… Probably lose in his head. It made you feel a little on edge, the way he stared at you, mouth opening slowly. “Oh! You must be my new roommate.” No sooner was a grin scrawled across his face, and he scrambled out of his chair. He pulled you fully in the room, shutting the door, and held out a hand. Hesitantly, you took it. His grip was firm, and he shook your arm wildly. “I’m Taboo. Taboo Hawkington. I’m the pyro, it’s nice to meet you.” He introduced. 

You pulled your hand back as soon as he let go, looking down at it, faintly worried. “Uh… I’m the Nurse.” You introduced, deciding to keep your name disclosed for the time being. You weren’t sure you trusted him enough with it. 

“Well, nice to meet you, the Nurse!” His grin didn’t falter. He looked over, holding an arm out, and the hawk spread its wings. With a powerful beat of them that sent papers scattering, it flew over, perching on his arm. You grimaced, faintly, as the talons it bore dug into his arm to grip on. Taboo seemed to pay no mind to it, however, bringing the hawk closer to him. “This is Mr. Hawkington!” He introduced the bird. Your frown only deepened as… Mr. Hawkington eyed you. 

“I… Didn’t know they allowed you to have pets here.” You said, slowly. Taboo flinched, as if struck, curling back and bringing the hawk closer to his body. 

“Mr. Hawkington is not a pet! He’s my father! He raised me to become the person I am today! How dare you say something so hurtful?” He looked like a kicked puppy, turning his head to coo gentle things to bird of prey. You seriously couldn’t be more confused. This guy… Thought… The hawk was his father…? You didn’t risk saying otherwise. 

“I-I’m sorry, I didn’t know.” You apologized, a little bluntly. He glanced at you, a doubtful look on his face. “Seriously. Sorry.” You tried again, just resisting rolling your eyes. He seemed to accept that, for he bounced back to his lively self, grinning. 

“That’s okay! Everyone makes mistakes. Mr. Hawkington forgives you, too.” His smile was no less brighter than earlier. 

“I’m-- I’m glad to hear. I’m gonna, uh, get settled in, now.” You informed the pyrotechnician, jerking a thumb towards your side of the room. 

“Oh, yeah! Yeah, yeah, yeah, of course, need help?” He offered, taking a step forward, unto which you responded with a step back. 

“No… Thanks, I’m good. Uh…” You hesitated. Taboo waited eagerly. You didn’t exactly want him around here while you unpacked your things, just in case he became a little too grabby or touchy feely. He seemed like that kind of person. “Could you get me a glass of water? I’m pretty thirsty.” You asked. He seemed to light up at the request, and gave an eager nod. 

“Sure thing! C’mon, Mr. Hawkington, step up! Let’s get going.” He announced, the hawk crawling up his arm and perching on his shoulder, and he was out the door in a flash. Peace and quiet. You sighed. Turning back to your bed, you slung your bag on it, opening it and pulling out all its contents, your suitcase following. You put your clothes in each drawer respectively, stacking a few books on the top of the dresser as well. Some pens, paper, and a picture frame that had yet to be filled. 

Your bags were slid under your bed, and with a sigh you flopped down on it. As you expected, it wasn’t very comfortable. It felt more like a cot than anything else, and the sheets and covers weren’t in the best of quality either. Itchy, for sure. The pillow was even worse, but the comfort of laying down on something that wasn’t metal and cold was starting to lull you into sleep. You were snapped out of that state as the door was slammed open, then closed. Taboo had returned. 

“Here’s your water, Nurse!” He announced, setting the glass down on the dresser atop one of your books. You grumbled, sitting back up with heavy eyes and a head even more led-felt. 

“Thanks.” You muttered, taking the water, and merely looked it for a moment. Finally, you took a sip, but realizing how thirsty you actually were only caused you to gulp the rest down. With a sigh, you set the glass down a little more forceful than intended on the table, and laid back in your bed. 

“Sooo... “ You stifled a groan, instead opting to sigh. Turning your head over, you saw Taboo sitting crisscrossed on his chair, arms straight down between his legs, Mr. Hawkington still on his shoulder. “How’s life? Wanna talk about stuff? We should get to know each other, since we’re gonna be roommates, and all. Plus, I gotta watch your back for those pesky spies. You’ll thank me later for it.” He started. Your brow twitched and this, and with the most patient tone you could currently muster, you responded. 

“We can talk later, Taboo. I had a long trip up here, and I wanna take a nap before dinner. Why don’t you wake me up when it’s time to eat?” Taboo perked up again slightly, and he gave a salute. 

“Yes’m! Get some rest.”

“Gladly.” You mumbled, turning away from him. Surprisingly enough, he did stay quiet, shifting back to do work you only assumed. You were out within a matter of minutes. Dreamless was your sleep, as you expected, and it only felt like you’d been in slumber for a couple moments before you were roused. 

“C’mon! Foods a waitin’!” Taboo announced, and you could hear him open the door and bound out of the room. Groaning, you sat up, rubbing your face to wipe any sleep away. 

“Fff… Lights out by eleven, no problem.” You muttered, pushing yourself up and pulled your shoes back on. You made your way out the door, shutting it and heading down the corridor. Turning to the right, as instructed earlier, you could make out the smell of cooked food wafting down towards you. It smelled like some kind of stir fry, and your stomach grumbled involuntarily. 

When you came into the kitchen, you couldn’t help but suddenly stop. You recognized Taboo, of course, as well as Connor, but you didn’t seem to take into account the other apprentice mercs, for some reason. You saw a dark haired male at the stove, cooking said stirfry you smelled. His back was turned to you, face obscured, so you looked at the table. 

A rather well chiseled young man sat, kicked back in the chair, an arm slung over it. His blond hair was cut clean and militaristic, his teeth as straight and white as himself, you were sure. He was attractive, yes, but you knew he’d be a pain, especially with the way he seemed to talk the other’s ears off. Beside Taboo and Connor sat a young woman with a toned body herself. She was probably rather tall when she stood, and her broad, dark shoulders were interrupted by the pink of scars. Now that you noticed it, her arms had some as well. 

The blond finally stopped talking, fixing his blue eyes on you. “Well, hello there, ‘Nurse’. Pleasure to meet you.” He stood from his seat, giving a salute. “The name is Michael Foster, but on the field, please refer to me as ‘Cadet’.” You assumed he was the soldier apprentice. “I’m being taken under the wing of the soldier.” Yup, there it was. “I look forward to working with you.” He held out a hand, and you reached forward, giving a firm shake in response to his. “You seem promising.” He flashed a grin, and a wink to follow it. 

“Thanks. You too.” You responded, just keeping the desert out of your voice. Your eyes slid over, finally able to see the man cooking as he placed the pan of stirfry in the middle of the table for everyone. He was of some Asian descent, you weren’t sure what, maybe Japanese. He wore dark rimmed spectacles, slipping slightly from the sweat gathering on his face from the heat of the stove. He reached over, grabbing some sides to go with the main course, looking back at you. 

“ _Aisatsu._ I am the Razer, the demolitions apprentice.” He greeted, bowing briefly, before going back to what he was previously doing. Before you had a chance to say anything, the woman at the table spoke up. 

“I am Warmonger. I use the big guns.” She announced. Her voice was strong, albeit quiet, and her accent sounded faintly Russian, but you could be mistaken. 

“Nice to meet all of you.” You finally got out, moving past Michael to sit at the table. You took a seat next to Connor, who merely acknowledged you with a muttered ‘evenin’ again’. 

“I’m so excited for tomorrow!” Taboo spoke up, the first to start shovelling food onto his plate. “It’s gonna be so much fun I bet! We’ll get to do training, and then use some weapons, and talk with the actual team, and--”

“I’m sure, Taboo, that we will have to go through a physical examination before anything else.” The razer interrupted, voice calm, polite. He had finally sat himself down at the table after setting a pitcher of what you assumed was iced tea in the center as well. “We probably won’t get to see our weapons tomorrow, but instead will be familiarized with our mentors.”

“Oh… Yeah, probably. That’s fine, too.” He simply shrugged, taking a chunk of meat from the stirfry and offering it to Mr. Hawktington on his shoulder, who gobbled it up hungrily. 

“I think Taboo’s right in some aspects. There has to be some sort of ass-kicking involved tomorrow, so they can gauge our physical abilities.” Michael commented as he dumped food onto his own plate, soon beginning to shovel it into his mouth “That’sh gunna be the fun part.” He chuckled, mouth full as he spoke. You’d taken your own rations, listening mostly as Taboo and Michael went to and fro about tomorrow’s expectations. You realized the food was actually rather good, but didn’t bet on it always being this tasteful in the future. 

“This is good, Razer.” You suddenly commented, a little loudly, as the two blonds started to have a ‘who can stuff the most dinner rolls in their mouth’ contest. 

“Thank you, Nurse. I brought some ingredients from home. They survived the journey, as you can tell, and I’m thankful. There wasn’t much for me to work with here, anyhow.” He informed, offering a small smile. 

“You cook often, yes?” Asked the warmonger, soon taking one of the(luckily) untouched rolls. 

“I do. Well, did, for my siblings and mother.” He answered. 

“Are you here for them?” You couldn’t help but ask, hoping it wasn’t too personal of a question. 

“I am. Money is tight, and this job pays well.” He answered, but before he could say anything else, the cadet spoke. 

“Same, man, I feel you. Y’know why I’m here?” Nobody asked why, but he’d went on anyways. You only partially listened. Something about wanting to help his parents out back in California after he’d gone into the military. It was an(unsurprisingly) lengthy story, and by the time he was done, everyone else at the table was. You were still feeling quite beat, so after taking care of your dishes and thanking Razer once again for the meal, you made your way to your quarters. 

Changing and doing your nightly routines went by fast, and soon, you were plopped in your bed, the rather scratchy blankets pulled over you. It was quiet without Taboo, and soon enough, you found yourself asleep. It was a dreamless night, filled with an uneasy rest. It’d only felt like minutes you’d been out, but a startling banging on your door, and the sound of a rough and commanding voice drew you out of your slumber. 

“Up and at’em, maggots! We start our training at 0-600 hours! Get your asses in gear!”


	2. Rockets, Medicine and Bears

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uh... This is significantly longer than the last chapter. I think. I dunno.

Being woken up at 5:15 in the morning wasn’t how you’d intended to start your day. You still weren’t sure who had woken you all up. He was loud, commanding, and his boots echoed as he marched up and down the halls. When you’d open your door to go to the shower rooms, he was gone. He’d said to meet him out on the training field at 0-600 hours-- Six A.M. Fun. 

You showered, and dressed. You’d first dressed in shorts and a t-shirt, for it was training, afterall. You realized, however, the weather, and quickly changed into sweatpants. A sweatshirt followed over. Pulling on a pair of tennis shoes, you stopped mid loop on one of the laces. Your eyes slid over to your combat boots. 

You quickly discarded your tennis shoes aside, opting for the more rugged boots. 

Surprisingly enough, you didn’t see much of Taboo this morning. Only when he’d gotten up, but after that, there was nothing else. You made your way to the kitchen, finding yourself the only one in there. Glancing over at the clock, it read 5:48. Maybe you should hurry. Opening the fridge, Razer hadn’t been wrong. There was scarcely anything. A couple of sandwiches with some fruit randomly laying around, and a carton of eggs. Left over iced tea, milk, and orange juice. You opted on an apple. 

You polished most of it off as you made your way out of the only door you could find. You tossed the apple in a garbage bin, and pushed the heavy metal door open, shivering as cold wind buffeted your face. It wasn’t snowing, and it seemed rather still, but it still didn’t mean it wasn’t cold. Pulling the hood over your head, you trudged up to a haphazardly made sign. 

‘Training Area This Way’. It had an arrow pointing. Training was spelled in correctly, but you got the gist. Following the arrow, you found everyone gathered in a line, sans for the classes that were missing yesterday as well. You saw someone in front of them, talking, and quickly hustled over. You puffed as you halted beside Razer, putting your hands behind your back as they currently were doing. Razer glanced over at you, giving a small smile, and you returned it, jumping and looking forward as the same voice from earlier spoke. 

“You’re late, maggot!” The man snapped, trudging over. A helmet covered his eyes, and the uniform he wore, though longsleeved, didn’t look to be very warm. Glancing at the emblem on his arm, you figured he was the soldier. “State your rank!” He ordered. 

“Nurse, sir.” You answered, straightening up. A sneer crossed his face, and he roughly grabbed your chin with his calloused fingers. 

“Did I tell you to use your indoor voice? I think NOT! What is your RANK, PRIVATE?” He demanded once more, removing his fingers from your jaw as you opened it to speak again. 

“Nurse, sir!” You spoke louder. Your voice could never match his volume. 

“Well, ‘Nurse’, I hope you don’t think I’m going to let you slack just because you’ll be prancing around with that healy-gun of yours. I expect as much from you as anyone else, is that clear?” He asked, straightening up. You responded with a ‘Yes, sir!’, and he seemed to accept that. He turned back around, walking up and down in the small path he’d already made. 

“Alright, ladies, today is your first day! I will assess your physical capabilities and see what you are made of! On the real battle field, there is no time to sit and play footsie with your friends. You will be shot, and therefore, you will be killed! Respawn is there to assist you, but unless you like the sight of your own stomach’s innards on the ground the first few times, I suggest you avoid that option!” He informed, hands behind as he continued on. He had made a clear path in the snow by now. “I’ll start you off with running! On the battlefield, you will not walk, skip, sashay or crab-- You will be running!

“If it was up to me, I’d have you all day. I’d make you miserable, crawling kittens into fierce, flesh eating tigers within a few hours! However, I know time is of the assent! Five laps, go!” He pointed towards a snow covered track, and everyone took off. 

“Isn’t it ‘time is of the essence’ or something?” Razer asked as he ran beside you. 

“Yeah. He didn’t spell training right either on the sign.” You responded, huffing out as the bitter cold stung your lungs. “I’m pretty sure this guy was bred for fighting, not literacy.” The Asian’s huff of breath was laughter, but he couldn’t respond as Soldier ordered for them all to pick up the pace. 

You noticed that Warmonger had on only sweatpants and a tank top. You figured that some part of her definitely must be Russian. Everyone else seemed to be in wear that was appropriate for the weather, so it definitely wasn’t just you that thought it was cold. Around your second or so lap, however, you started to feel the heat getting to you. Michael’s sweatshirt was already long gone, discarded in the snow on the side, leaving him in just a compression shirt. 

Third lap in, you couldn’t take it. You stripped off your sweatshirt, tossing it haphazardly by the other two now lying there. On the fourth lap, you noticed there was another man standing by Soldier, talking to him. They may have been arguing, you figured, seeing how Soldier’s posture was quite stiff, but that may just be how the man was. The other’s eyes were narrowed behind a pair of spectacles, and he wore a long, winter coat. Was that a cross on his arm? Was that the medic?

Your eyes lingered on him, and he looked over. His slate blue ones met your own, burning with intense curiosity. You looked away, focusing back on your running. Some part of you hoped that wasn’t him. He was intimidating in his own way, and looked rather strict-- Not like there wasn’t really a reason for him to _not_ be strict, but, well… You were hoping some of these mercenaries were chill, but you weren’t getting your hopes up too high for it. These guys were fighting in a war, after all. 

Everyone had congregated after they’d finished their laps, mostly catching their breath. You didn’t really realize how out of shape you were until you stood there, hunched over, wheezing faintly as you drew in air. “Stand up straight! You’ll fill your lungs better like that.” You heard Michael announce, followed by a slap to the back that startled you into a coughing fit. “Whoops! Sorry, haha.” You straightened up, weakly glaring at him as you drew in shallow breaths. 

“Alright, maggots, give me fifty push-ups, stat!” Came Soldier’s drilling voice. Stifling any noise complaints, you lined up with the rest of the apprentices, dropping down onto your arms. As you began, you noticed Michael was pushing these out with little effort, as was Warmonger. Glancing over your other way, Razer was taking his in silence, as was Connor. You didn’t miss the trembling in their arms, however, and felt a little more relieved you weren’t the only one struggling. Taboo seemed to be some whole other species, pushing his out more quickly than you thought was possible. Mr. Hawkington sat on his back, preening his feathers without a care. 

_How did I get stuck here again?_ You thought, frowning as you continued your push-ups. Your body was screaming for oxygen, hurting from all the un-warmed up exercises. This was only part two and you wanted to stop already. _You really should’ve hit the gym before all this. What did you think battle-medic meant? Stupid._ You internally scolded yourself. Your hands weren’t feeling any better, burning against the cold of the snow. You should’ve grabbed your sweatshirt from where it lay. Or gloves, at least. _Fuck._ You bit your lip, closing your eyes as you willed your body on. 

“Ow!” Startled, you couldn’t help but cry out as harsh pressure was applied to your fingers. You had drawn your hands back, only to land chin first in the snow with an ‘oof’. Peeling your eyes open, you saw Soldier had stopped a little too close to you, and had stepped on your fingers. Next thing you knew, he’d gripped the back of your shirt, and pulled you up in an effortless motion, steading your shoulder with a hand as you swayed briefly. 

“If you had been executing proper positioning, that wouldn’t have happened, private!” He snapped, moving aside. He slapped your back with such force that you stumbled forward. Your boots slipped on a patch of particularly slippery ice, careening you forward. Another arm had stopped an inevitable impact, however. Blinking, you looked up at the face. Before you stood the man that had been speaking with Soldier. A long, creased face and greying showed just how much this war took a toll on him, as well as his age. His face was grim, spectacles glinting in the weak light as his eyes narrowed. 

“You are the Nurse, _ja?_ ” He inquired, German accent thick on his tongue. You could only give a mute nod, prying yourself away from his grip as you straightened yourself up. “ _Gut_. I am the Medic. A pleasure to make your acquaintance, _herr doktor_.” He lent a small smile, merely more a twitch of his lips. “If you please, you will be coming with me now. I’d like to conduct your physical, and get to know more about you. Afterall, you are _mein lehrling_.” He chortled quietly, turning on heel with a faint swoosh of his coat. You didn’t even have time to get a word out. Quickly, you scrambled over to your sweatshirt and snatched it up, and took off after the swift-footed German. 

You walked beside him, a silence stretched between you both. You weren’t sure if you should speak up or not, so for the time, merely fiddled with the sweater in your hands. Finally taking in the surroundings, you realized he was taking you to a different building, one much bigger than the one you’d be introduced to. That must be where the official mercenaries stayed. The door was heaved open, and Medic allowed you in first with a wave of his hand. It was significantly warmer inside here than your building, and you felt as if normally you’d bitch about it, but you were too grateful to be out of the cold to do so. 

A soft sigh fell from your lips as the door shut heavily behind you, and the medic lead the way once again. The sound of voices grew louder as you both traversed down the hallway, and you came upon an open doorway. Medic strode straight passed it without looking. You, however, stole a glance inside as you passed. It had a couch, with a few other seats, and a television. People sat in there, talking, drinking, relaxing. The common room, you assumed. You didn’t recognize anyone-- Well, how were you supposed to? You didn’t know anyone. You assumed the different mercenaries would look distinct to their role, but at a glance like that, you couldn’t tell the scout from the engineer. 

You two approached a large set of double doors, which you assumed were either Medic’s quarters, or the infirmary. You guessed it was the latter, considering there’d be no reason to visit his personal room. He moved a hand to push the doors open, only to draw back as they were pushed open from the inside. Out came a bear of a man. He was huge, easily over six foot. He looked just as tired as the medic had appeared at first glance, especially compared to the young woman in front of him. She was… Far shorter, probably only reaching five foot three or so, and her shoulders were engulfed by the hands of the giant as he lead her out. 

“Ah… Heavy, Technician. Is everything fine?” Medic inquired, mildly confused. 

“Went to grab aspirin. Found her with hand in cough drops. Again.” The man spoke, Russian accent as heavy as he surely was. Medic made a noise, giving a pointed look at the young, mousy-brown haired woman. She gave a meek smile in return, wiggling her fingers at the medic. 

“Amantha, I’ve told you…”

“I know, I know! They’re just… So damn good, doc.” She groaned out, leaning back against the behemoth behind her. “If you’d just lemme take a bottle then--”

“ _Nein_. Addictions are dangerous.” Medic scolded, although there was a clear teasing tone in his voice. “Find something else to stick your hand in.” At this, the technician waggled her eyebrows at the German, giggling as he scoffed and rolled his eyes, but the smile parting his lips was visible. “Danke, herr Heavy, for retrieving her. Now, shoo, you both, I am very busy.” As he pushed the door open, the technician had spoke up again. 

“This your apprentice?” She raised a brow in your general direction.

“I’m the Nurse.” You introduced. She held out a hand, and you took it, giving a firm shake. 

“Good to meet ya. I’m the Technician, but you can call me Amantha, Techy, Techster, whatever, I don’t care. Just don’t call me late for dinner.” She grinned, giving a curt laugh, raising her hands into finger guns. Your lips twitched, whether out of amusement or irritation, you weren’t quite sure yet. She was definitely an apprentice, and if she was like this, you hoped that her mentor was… Similar, in some aspects. 

“I am Heavy. Good to meet, Nurse.” The man spoke up, giving a nod of his shaven head. He gave the same gesture to Medic, before steering Amantha off, whom waved once again as she followed beside the man. Medic snorted, pushing into the room, motioning for you to follow. 

“So, uh… She’s apprenticed to…?” You started. It was no secret who you were talking about. 

“Engineer. She’s… Not exactly an apprentice. She’s more of what her title is-- A technician.” He informed, stripping off the heavy winter coat he wore, leaving him in a sweater vest. “She showed up one day, proved useful, so we kept her. I doubt you will see her on the battlefield, however.” He moved over to a large sink, washing his hands. The whole thing with the technician sounded rather… Sketchy to you, but you didn’t bother to delve further into it. Looking around the room, you could definitely confirm that it was an infirmary, with the tables and supplies dotted here and there. You noticed a large machine with some apparatus hooked up to it, pointed down at the table. Curious, you walked over to it, squinting as you examined it. You’d heard about the medic’s technology, specifically a rather infamous gun of his used to heal people at incredible rates. 

“Is this the… The uh…” You fought to remember the name, tapping your fingers on the table as you scrunched up your nose. 

“The Medigun.” The doctor answered, and you could hear his boots as he strode over. 

“Yeah. That.” You dragged your eyes over to him as he examined it himself, adjusting the barrel. “Does it really work wonders?”

“If you consider stitching up gaping wounds in the matter of mere seconds in the midst of battle to be wonders, then yes, it works plenty.” He grinned. 

“Damn…” You breathed out, eyeing the contraption once again. You almost felt a little bad saying it, but you were excited to see the work it could do in person. 

“Ja. It’s quite _wunderbar_.” He agreed, much more animated than he had appeared before you. You knew his passions truly did lie in medicine, seeing the way he spoke and moved about when it came to the topic. “In time, I’ll teach you the secrets to it. However, you won’t be using the medigun.” 

“Wait-- What?” You were confused, and your face portrayed it, even as the medic moved around you to go ruffle through a crate at the side of the room. “If-- If I’m not using the medigun, then what…?”

“You will using Medipens.” He informed, walking back over. He took one of your hands, and placed something inside of it. When he withdrew, he had placed a vile in your hand. It was a pretty good size, and the butt of it had a red liquid sloshing around in it. Liquid probably wasn’t a very accurate word, but more of an… Essence, maybe. Tilting your head, you removed the cap at the front, and saw a sizeable needle, plus a small button. “If I understand correctly, you apply this around the area where your comrade is injured, press the button, and it will do all the healing needed.” He grinned, putting his hands on his hips. “When you use it, please: Inform me of the results. I’m quite curious to know how well it works.”

“Sure.” You shrugged, replacing the cap, and set it aside. “So am I here for you to give me protocol, or something of the like?”

“Well… Yes. And no.” He cleared his throat, turning around. He grabbed a pair of red, rubbery gloves. “I wanted to give you a physical first, so you can help me with the others. It will take less time if both of us conduct them, instead of just myself.” He snapped the glove on, and you grabbed the hem of your shirt. “You do actually have medical experience, correct?” He looked over at you, a brow raised. 

“Of course.” You assured, pulling the garment over your head, setting it aside on the table. You settled yourself on there as well. 

“ _Gut_.” He pulled the other glove on, grabbed a clipboard and pen, and turned towards you. A small grin played onto his face, and despite you having of gone through this many times, you couldn’t help but feel a little uneasy. “Now… Prepare for your examination.”


End file.
